Religious discrimination against modern pagans

Modern pagans are a religious minority in every country where they exist and have been subject to religious discrimination and/or religious persecution. The largest modern pagan communities are in North America, Russia and the United Kingdom, and the issue of discrimination receives most attention in those locations, but there are also reports from other countries.

This form of discrimination has been known online as "Wiccaphobia," or "paganphobia."

Australia

In 2021, the Adelaide University Occult Club faced notable challenges in securing funding and campus access due to delays in reaffiliation from the student union, YouX. The club with multiple other clubs signed an open letter to the clubs committee while an online petition garnered 571 signatures.

In 2022, the club’s reaffiliation was rejected during an in camera decision with rejection of registration due to a complaint the club might summon Satan.

Greece

In modern day Greece, the Greek Orthodox Church has the status of state religion, and consequently, alternative religions such as modern Hellenic paganism may be subject to discrimination.

The Greek Society of Attic Friends was unsuccessful when it asked for recognition as a legal religion and was denied the right to build a temple in Athens and to use existing temples for worship. 200 people illegally occupied a protected cultural site in Athens - a former temple - in 2007 to perform ceremonies.

In 2006, an Athens court ordered the worship of the old Greek gods to be unbanned and a place of worship has been recognized by court. Referring to the followers, Father Eustathios Kollas, who presides over a community of Greek Orthodox priests, said, "They are a handful of miserable resuscitators of a degenerate dead religion who wish to return to the monstrous dark delusions of the past."

Canada

In September 2012, Conservative Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews cancelled a tender that had been issued by Corrections Canada in British Columbia for a Wiccan prison chaplain. In October of that year, Toews ordered the termination of contracts for all non-Christian prison chaplains in BC and all but two throughout Canada, obliging not only modern pagan prisoners but also Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Buddhists, practitioners of indigenous religions, and others to turn to Christian chaplains for their spiritual needs.